A little motivation

Natasha Linton
NYC Personal Trainer

Let me first start of my introducing myself and telling you a bit about myself. It's a very condensed version.

My name is Rob and I am 46 years old and currently weigh around 255 lbs. That is down from my highest weight of 385 that I achieved in 2003. So to date I have managed to lose around 130 lbs.

I have been overweight all my life and for the past year I have been in the process of changing that. My journey that I have been on has had many stops and gos. It's never an easy task to get into shape but hopefully once a person sets his/her mind to it one can achieve what was once thought to be impossible.

One thing that I recently attempted, and something that I thought I would never have the opportunity to do, was to get involved in a local weight loss competition at my gym. It was a contest that last 12 weeks and who ever achieved the most points, based on weight loss, body fat loss and inches lost, would be the winner of the contest. I trained really hard for this and had to change my diet, for the better, and my attitude. What I also needed to do was to stay focused 100% of the time if I was to win this. Did I, No!

One thing that I learned through my training for this was that stuff happens that sometimes you have control over and sometimes you don't. Whether it's a minor injury, personal issues that get you sidetracked, or slacking off on what you eat; it's how you deal with all of it that matters. I realized that no matter what happens you still need to stay focused and be patient with not only yourself but with what others who might be trying to do for you, to guide you along a better path.

Because during this contest I wasn't perfect and that's OK. I did slack on my eating, I did falter on my workouts as well. What was important to me is that I never gave up on myself and my desire to win this and go onto living and adapting a healthier lifestyle.

Like I said I wasn't perfect, no one is 100% of the time. It's important to just get back on the horse, learn from your mistakes and go at it like you never had before. Giving up would have only let my old self win and I wasn’t going to allow that, not this time and not after all the work I have already put into myself. So if there is a will, there is a more positive way of dealing with any setback that comes your way. You can't give up. You move on and just try harder until you finally win.

Now did I win the competition you might be wondering; well I didn't in one aspect and I did in another. It was close though because I only lost by .2 point. What I lost monetarily doesn't matter, what I lost was 29 pounds, 23 inches off my body and about 6.5% body fat. So all in all I still consider myself a winner.

Even though now the contest is over and I lost the money, I still didn't let it get me down. I celebrated my success with some nice treats and then after a day or so I got right back into my routine. There is no rest for the weary and if you want to succeed in living a healthy lifestyle the ultimate prize is soon to happen once you reach your goal!

Thank you Rob!
Natasha

You will to a certain degree after a workout especially if you are exercising for the first time in a long time or for the first time in your life. Most likely it is your body going through the repair process in response to the stress from training. The pain will either hit you immediately following the workout or 12-48 hours after your workout.

The body will recovery on it’s own. You can however speed up the recovery process. For example, during exercise try to keep moving between sets instead of sitting down. This helps with circulation. If you’re new to working out, don’t let the pain keep you away from it. It’s normal. If you’re uncertain however about the pain you are feeling seek medical advice.

Natasha Linton
NYC Personal Trainer/Fitness Writer

You decide that you want to hire a personal trainer because you lack motivation, reached a training plateau, have no clue what to do to reach your fitness goals, or need to change your exercise routine.Before you do there some some things to look for in a personal trainer. After all you dont want to choose just anyone and risk getting hurt.
First, there are different ways to go about finding one. You can simply hire one through your gym, or you can hire a private trainer by referral or by searching the internet. On the internet you can Yahoo! or Google specific search words such as Manhattan trainer, for a trainer in your area.
Remember a trainer you’ll want will:
1) Have a nationally recognized certification. DO NOT hire someone without a certification or fitness related degree. Among the certifications to look for are ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association), NESTA ( National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association), NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association), and ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine).
2) Before putting you through a workout will sit with you to chat about your goals, your strengths, your weaknesses, fitness history, medical history, and to take some baseline measurements. Make sure they ask you a ton of questions about yourself.This is important. There are cases where a medical doctor needs to step in the picture and give clearance for a client to start training. Make sure this is not the case with you. Here you can ask for proof of their work, such as testimonials.
3) Make sure a reassessment in 6 weeks or so is scheduled during your first meeting.This is a way to be sure that you are in fact on track to reach your goals, or you’ll find out that something needs to change in your program. Watching those numbers (your measurements) drop is great motivation.
4) Also, a good trainer is always researching.

Natasha Linton
Top Rising Star in Personal Training
-National Fitness Hall of Fame and Museum

Keep the Carbs